ANDERSEN: NEW ERA FOR FIM SGP3’S 250CC SHOOTING STARS

Denmark’s former Speedway GP winner Brian Andersen believes the success of the new FIM SGP3 championship for speedway’s under-16 stars in Wroclaw was a real “eye-opener” for the sport after watching his son Mikkel become its first champion.

As part of their 10-year vision to create the next generation of Speedway GP champions, new FIM Speedway global promoter Discovery Sports Events took the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship under the SGP umbrella, relaunching it as SGP3.

The first-ever Beckhoff FIM SGP3 Final took place in Wroclaw on Friday, August 26 – the day before the sport’s elite battled it out in an epic Betard FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw.

While Speedway GP’s 500cc heroes put on an entertaining night of racing on the Saturday, the Beckhoff FIM SGP3 finalists were not upstaged as they delivered an unforgettable tournament, which Mikkel Andersen won on 13 points ahead of fellow Danish star Villads Nagel Christiansen and Poland’s Antoni Kawczynski.

An incredible 2,500 fans – an unprecedented crowd for an FIM youth event – flocked to Wroclaw’s iconic Olympic Stadium, while viewers around the world enjoyed the action live on Discovery+ and the Eurosport App.

Brian Andersen won the 1997 FIM British Speedway GP in Bradford, but now enjoys the action from the other side of the fence, helping Mikkel as he starts his journey to the top, as well as tuning engines for the sport’s top 250cc riders.

He was delighted to see the FIM SGP3 youngsters competing on a Speedway GP circuit and sharing the SGP pits and podium with the sport’s biggest names. Andersen said: “First of all, being part of history and the first-ever SGP3 was great. The whole setup was great and winning in that scenery was indescribable.

“It was a very good experience for all of us – the whole family, and especially Mikkel, who went out and pulled off the victory. It’s something he has been working hard on in his everyday life, with fitness training and training on and off the track. There has been a build-up to this all year and to have finally succeeded is obviously very nice.

“I think the whole event was an eye-opener for everyone; the standard was so high. A lot of people came to me after the meeting and said, ‘we couldn’t believe how good the racing was – it was intense, close.’ You couldn’t really tell if it was a normal GP or not, until they came into the pits, got their helmets off and you could see it was kids.

“On track, they raced well. I know they are not as quick as the proper Speedway GP riders. But it was good racing, good entertainment and I think this 250cc class is a great class – I have said it for many years. It hasn’t really had the recognition it deserves. But because Discovery has come in and put it on TV, a lot of people can see ‘we have a good product here.’ It was great to be part of that and get the response we did after the meeting.

“Having the same setup as the Speedway GP riders experience was huge for the kids. This is what they see on TV, and it is a dream come true for them to be part of it.”

Andersen believes the SGP3 category offers young riders a fantastic route to launch their journeys to the top of the sport.

He added: “I’m very, very happy with SGP3. I have been making engines for the 250cc class for 10 years now and this is the first time, because of SGP3 and Discovery, that the 250cc class has got the credit it deserves.

“This is the way we will build future stars up. This is where we are going to find the stars. We cannot just look for them in the leagues. We have to get new people coming from underneath league level. This is what I like about what happened in Wroclaw.”

The FIM SGP3 bikes may be 250cc instead of the 500cc machines raced in Speedway GP and SGP2. But Andersen admits the speed may have surprised some viewers. He said: “The start to the first corner is a little bit slower than you will see with the 500s. But the way they take the corners is actually quite quick. Riders don’t spend as much time scrubbing off their speed.

“On some of the smaller tracks like Vojens, Mikkel is only three seconds off the track record. Some of the racing times he produces are better than some of the best First Division riders. The level of racing and competition is very good on the 250s.”

At just 14 years old, Mikkel Andersen appears to have a very bright future in the sport after bouncing back from a third place in his opening ride of the Final to reel off four straight heat wins and take the title. Speaking after his Beckhoff FIM SGP3 triumph, he said: “It feels amazing. I can’t describe it. I was not happy with my result in the first heat, but my dad calmed me down and we made it a bit better. It was nice to be part of SGP3 – it gives you a taste of what you want to get and where you want to be in the future.”

His father is also impressed with Mikkel’s dedication to the sport that has seen him crowned both SGP3 world champion and European 250cc Youth champion this season.

Brian said: “Mikkel has come through his piwi 50cc career and he has been on an 85cc two-stroke bike, which we have in Denmark. Last year he was FIM Speedway Youth Gold Trophy winner on 85cc.

“He works very hard on his sport. As a family, we support him as much as we can. It’s not only financial support; it’s giving him the time. We go practising twice a week and we go to race meetings on Saturday and Sunday.

“We have been doing this for a lot of years now and it’s a family thing. It’s something we enjoy doing. We are together as a family – a father and son and Mum too. It’s a lifestyle I would say. It’s a good lifestyle. It keeps the kids off the street, and they have a sport they are so focused on.

“Mikkel is very focused on his sport and very determined to be the best. We film all his races, and he spends a lot of time sitting and watching – sometimes in slow motion – to see what he is doing, analysing what he is doing right and wrong.

“I think that’s a strong point for him – he does get into details with his sport, and that’s probably why he won the European and world championship in his first year on the 250cc bikes. I think that’s down to him and his dedication to the sport.”

The spotlight switches to Denmark’s senior stars this Saturday as the legendary Vojens Speedway Center stages the country’s biggest speedway event – the FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens, sponsored by ECCO.